Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The main aim of the FAO Representation in Cambodia is to assist government to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
The Public-Social-Private Partnerships for Ecologically-Sound Agriculture and Resilient Livelihood in Northern Tonle Sap Basin (PEARL) is a six-year project (2023 – 2029), funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). This adaptation project aims to enhance the climate resilience of farmers and local communities in the Northern Tonle Sap Basin (Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey provinces) through public-social-private partnerships and improved access to growing segments of premium agricultural product market while ensuring climate-resilient practices.
To support the market-led transition to climate-resilient agriculture, the project established the Farmer-led Agricultural Resilience Mechanism (FARM) under Outcome 2. FARM provides matching grants to support 124 Farmer Organizations (FOs), including agricultural cooperatives (ACs), Community Protected Areas (CPAs), Community Forests (CFs), and agricultural unions — in developing and implementing business plans co-financed with public-social-private partnerships (PSPPs). A key gap identified during implementation is the limited capacity of FOs to engage with formal financial institutions. Their business plans, while technically sound, are not structured to meet lender requirements. Banks and MFIs operating in the target provinces do not have agricultural loan products calibrated to the crops, harvest calendars, or risk profiles relevant to the project’s value chains (cashew, mango, organic rice, vegetables). This position is established to address this gap.
The Technical Specialist (Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance) will function as a practitioner-level bridge between the FARM mechanism and Cambodia’s rural financial sector. The ideal candidate has direct experience in agricultural credit, ideally as a loan officer, credit analyst, or product development officer at a bank, MFI, or development finance institution. This is a technical role requiring practical understanding of agricultural finance, including how financial institutions assess risk, structure agricultural loan products, and make lending decisions. The position focuses on applying this knowledge to support farmer organizations and facilitate engagement with financial institutions.

Reporting Lines

A Technical Specialist (Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance) reports directly to the Component 2 Lead (Technical Advisor on Agribusiness and Value Chains) and works under the technical oversight of Lead Technical Officer (LTO) in the FAO regional office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and relevant technical units at FAO headquarters and under the overall supervision of FAO Representative (FAOR) and Senior Project Manager (SPO) in Cambodia.

Technical Focus

The Technical Specialist (Financial Inclusion and Access to Finance) will strengthen climate-resilient agricultural finance within the PEARL project by serving as a practitioner-level link between the FARM mechanism and Cambodia’s rural financial sector. The role emphasises agricultural credit product development, FO loan-readiness, lender engagement, and building bankable business packages. It is not a project financial management or accounting role.
Under the overall supervision of FAO Representative (FAOR) in Cambodia, the direct supervision of the Technical Advisor on Agribusiness and Value Chains, and in close collaboration with FAO Representation team, governmental counterparts, and other technical specialists, the incumbent will carry out the following tasks:

Agricultural Finance Market Analysis and Product Facilitation

• Support the international advisor in conducting analysis of agricultural finance across priority value chains (cashew, mango, organic rice, and vegetables), including data collection, stakeholder consultations, and validation of findings.
• Contribute to mapping financial institutions (banks, MFIs, Agricultural and Rural Development Bank - ARDB, insurers, investors, and financing platforms), including their products, terms, requirements, and coverage.
• Support identification of key barriers, risks, and enabling factors affecting access to agricultural finance.
• Assist in assessing existing financial products and identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Maintain and update a financial product catalogue (quarterly) to support project implementation.
• Support and facilitate financial service providers in the design or adaptation of agricultural financial products (e.g., seasonal loans, input credit, leasing, value chain finance), ensuring alignment with value chain needs and climate considerations.
• Provide technical inputs and coordinate discussions on indicative product features (e.g., tenor, grace periods, repayment schedules aligned with harvest cycles), without assuming a direct lending or underwriting role.
• Identify and document existing value chain finance models and support stakeholders in exploring opportunities for scaling or replication.
• Facilitate engagement between financial institutions and project stakeholders to improve accessibility of financial products for FOs.
• Support integration of risk mitigation mechanisms, including agro-insurance and credit guarantee schemes, into financing solutions promoted under the project.

FARM mechanism and FO business plan support

• Review business plans from 124 FOs submitted under the FARM mechanism from a lender’s perspective, assessing financial feasibility, investment logic, co-financing structure, and cost-efficiency.
• Support assessment of financial needs (CAPEX, OPEX, working capital) of FOs and value chain actors to inform financing facilitation and business plan development.
• Convert FO business plans into bankable investment packages, including preparation or quality assurance of financial statements, cash-flow projections, break-even analysis, and sensitivity analysis (yield, price, and climate risks), and repayment schedules aligned with agricultural cycles.
• Define minimum documentation requirements for each financing type and develop standardized checklists aligned with requirements of Agricultural and Rural Development Bank and other financial institutions.
• Collaborate with service providers (IDE Cambodia, SNV, CIRD, IRAM Development) and provincial teams to strengthen financial documentation across supported FOs.
• Provide technical inputs to FARM financial procedures, including eligibility criteria, disbursement governance, and co-financing contribution models.

Financial access facilitation and pipeline development

• Facilitate linkages between FOs and financial institutions for co-financing and investment.
• Support FOs in preparing loan applications and meeting financial institution requirements.
• Maintain and track a financing pipeline, including applications submitted, under review, approved, and disbursed.
• Facilitate dialogue between FOs and financial institutions to address bottlenecks in financing processes.

Capacity building and financial readiness

• Design and deliver training to 124 FOs on financial literacy and loan readiness tailored to FO needs.
• Develop training materials aligned with financial institution requirements.
• Provide coaching and advisory support to FOs on financial management and credit readiness.
• Train project staff and service providers on financial documentation and pipeline tracking.
• Monitor improvements in financial capacity of FOs.

Stakeholder engagement and knowledge development

• Organize stakeholder consultations, lender roundtables, and matchmaking events.
• Facilitate coordination between FOs, financial institutions, government agencies, and project partners.
• Provide technical inputs on agricultural finance, financial inclusion, and climate finance.
• Document lessons learned and contribute to knowledge products and case studies.

Other tasks

• Perform any other relevant tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

The position will require frequent travel to project provinces (Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Preah Vihear, and Oddar Meanchey) to meet stakeholders, assess capacity, and support field implementation. All travel must be approved in advance and will be reimbursed according to FAO rules and procedures.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agricultural economics, rural finance, microfinance, development economics, or a related field. A degree in banking or economics combined with at least 5 years of demonstrated agricultural lending experience is also acceptable.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in agricultural credit, rural lending, or value chain finance. Experience must include direct work within or alongside a bank, MFI, development finance institution, or rural credit programme — in a role involving loan assessment, credit product development, or agricultural portfolio management.
• Working knowledge of English and fluency in Khmer
• National of Cambodia

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge of ARDB and MFI lending criteria, KYC requirements, APR/EIR pricing structures, collateral substitutes, and loan approval processes in Cambodia. Candidates who cannot demonstrate familiarity with these concepts will not be shortlisted.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare or quality-check agricultural credit files: cash-flow projections, break-even analysis, sensitivity to yield/price/climate shock, repayment calendars aligned to harvest calendars.
• Experience working with agricultural cooperatives, FOs, or smallholder producer groups on credit readiness or enterprise development.
• Knowledge of cashew, mango, rice, or vegetable value chains in Cambodia, including input cost structures, harvest cycles, and market risk.
• Strong coordination and communication skills; demonstrated ability to facilitate dialogue between lenders, government agencies, and rural stakeholders.
• Experience in gender-responsive financial product design is an advantage.
• Prior experience in GCF, IFAD, or similar climate/agriculture programme environments is an advantage.
Willingness to travel frequently to project sites in Kampong Thom, Siem Reap, Oddar Meanchey, and Preah Vihear provinces.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION